Head speed indicator for golf clubs



May 7, 1963 J. D. LATHROP 3,088,321

HEAD SPEED INDICATOR FOR GOLF CLUBS Filed May 12, 1960 JOHN D. LET/{120p INVENTOR.

f ATTORNEY finite My invention relates to a novel device for training a person in the correct swinging of clubs used for driving objects, such as golf balls, without actually using an object, such as a golf ball, when training or practicing.

In using a golf club to obtain distance on a drive, the major consideration is to secure a maximum velocity of the head of the club at the instant of impact with the ball, applying the center of the driving face of the club to the ball perpendicular to its required path of travel.

Various devices have heretofore been proposed which will record the centrifugal force developed in swinging a golf club, but to the best of my knowledge no device has heretofore been devised which has taken into consideration the several requirements necessary to secure maximum effectiveness in driving a golf ball. Also many of the devices heretofore proposed are relatively complicated, or relatively heavy and which interfere with the feel of the clubs, or they are consturcted as special and expensive clubs that may be used only for training and are not useable for actual playing.

An object of my invention is to provide a novel and light device which may be easily and quickly secured on, and removed from, the driving face of a golf club without in any way marring said face, and thus enabling a player to practice his swing with the same clubs he uses in playing, or to permit a person to test various clubs to assist him in determin'mg which club will give him the best playing results.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel aerodynamic velocity measuring device so that maximum velocity will be indicated only when the device, and, therefore, the face of the club, is accurately addressed to a supposititious golf ball so that the user in striving for higher readings of velocity without increasing the energy put into the swing beyond the maximum he can comfortably exert, can correct faults which deprive his swing of its maximum efliciency.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a novel device of the kind described which is of extremely light weight, simple and inexpensive to produce and assemble, has a minimum number of parts and yet is highly effective in operation and use.

Yet another object is to provide a novel device removably attachable to the face of any golf club to determine by anemometry the speed of the clubhead produced by a swinging or stroke movement of the club, and thus indicate the relative efiiciency or effectiveness of the stroke, at substantially the point of impact with a supposititious object or golf ball.

Three factors appear to pertain to the distance that a golf ball is driven, to wit, velocity of the clubhead at impact; the area of the club face making contact with the ball (preferably the center 'or sweet spot thereof); and the angle of the club face at contact in relation to the intended direction of the shot or drive, viz., the squareness of the club face with the ball at impact. Ideally, the plane of the club face at imp-act is perpendicular to the plane of direction of the shot, and it is an object of my invention to provide a novel device which will reflect the velocity achieved (not of the total swing of the club head but) at or near the point of impact; and which will 3,%8,3Zl Patented May 7, 1%63 "ice are that my novel device is positioned on the face sur face of the club, no additional drag or resistance will be added to the swing of the club; and the device may be easily and quickly attached to, or removed from, the face surface of the club head without any damage to the club or to its face; the exclusion from measurement of all air resistance except such as may be encountered on the club face in an area substantially equivalent to the area thereof covered by my novel device; and in the provision of means whereby the indicator dial may be manually re-set and the resultant elimination of specially constructed resetting mechanisms.

My novel golf clubhead aerodynamic speed indicator presents many useful features whereby the device may be used: as a guide to the development and improvement of a players swing; as an accurate check of the continued efl'iciency of a developed swing; as an aid to the practicing of the golf swing indoors, or in yards or other places where the actual physical striking or hitting of a ball is not feasible or practicable; as a means of checking the efficiency of a players swing against objective standards, such as results known to have been obtained or secured by expert players; as a means of scoring a contest or game between two or more players, in which the results recorded after one or more swings or strokes by those playing are compared; and, as a guide to the testing and comparing of different clubs in order that a player may select the club most suitable to his individual swing.

As a class, golf players have the universal desire to secure more distance from the tee and with the fairway woods and long irons. Since golf clubs difler only slightly in weight, the distance that a golf ball is driven by a given stroke is basically dependent upon the velocity of the clubhead at the moment of impact with the ball. To secure maximum clubhead speed, a golfer must arrive at his own best combination of the many complex factors of the golf swing.

In addition to instruction and study, it is by experimentation and practice that a golfer achieves his own best combination of stance, grip, pivot, length of swing, etc. Presently, unless a player is practicing with a ball (and happens to hit is perfectly), he is dependent upon the swis of the club and his impression of feel and balance to estimate the success of his practice swing. A principal value of my novel device lies in the fact that it will accurately register the comparative worth of each swing and thus guide the player in determining that ideal combination of factors which produces his maximum clubhead speed. Among other things, it will aid him in establishing the proper degree of effort to be exerted for best results, beyond which the opposite result usually occurs.

While hitting a ball is undeniably the final test of a successful golf stroke, there is a definite benefit to be secured from being able to experimentally develop clubhead speed without involving the use of a ball, since the fact that a ball is to be struck, often causes the player to tighten up during his practice swing. In any event, by the use of my novel device on occasions when the use of a ball is not feasible, will remove the guess wor now required of a player in the evaluation of such practice swings.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawing, the subjoined detail description, and the appended claims.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the invention in a form I, at present, deem preferable.

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of my novel golf clubhead aerodynamic speed indicator, positioned on the face of a driver, the shaft of the club being broken away to contract the view.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 2---2., FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, taken on line 3-3, FIG. 2, the figure having been rotated from horizontal to vertical position.

7 FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 44, FIG. 1, the numerals on the indicator having been moved.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 55, FIG. 2.

In the drawing, similar numerals indicate similar parts in the several views.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the numeral indicates generally the air velocity indicating device of my invention adhered to the face 11 of a wooden driver golf club 12.

The device 10, as will be seen, is very small and may be made {very light, for instance, of a suitable plastic, since it is not subjected to impact, and its light weight is estimated at less than one-half ounce.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the device comprises a mounting member formed as a case or housing 13, with a forwardly directed intake port or air inlet 14 and side walls 15 secured to a flat base member 16 that has a roughened outer surface. The interior of side walls 15 is molded with bearings 17, best shown in FIG. 5. The bearings are U shaped, the rearwardly extending open ends facing base cover plate '16, on which a central forwardly projecting stub 18 is provided on which a metal bushing 19 may be mounted.

A rotor or airscrew 20 may be molded in one piece with a shaft stub 21 at one end thereof and with one gear 22 integrally molded on the shaft 21, so as to be in fixed relation thereto. An idler gear 23 identical with gear 22, except that it is drilled with an axial hole, is mounted to rotate freely on shaft stub 21, at the other end thereof opposite to stub shaft 21.

'The shaft stubs 21, 21 are mounted by the ends thereof positioned in said bearings 17, and the shaft is retained therein by spring pressure means 50, preferably exerted by resilient arms 25 extending from a hub 26 mounted on bushing 19 to an indicator ring 24 having numerals 24' on its periphery. The indicator ring 24 has gear teeth 27 formed in the forward edge thereof and which mesh with gears 22 and 23. The indicator ring 24 is annularly recessed as at 24 to provide a shoulder 24", against which'the free ends of the resilient arms 25 engage under compression. Thus the shaft stubs 21, 21' are held firmly in the base of U shaped bearings 17. The idler gear 23 acts to maintain the alignment of indicator ring 24 as well as to furnish a desirable amount of damping to rotation of shafts 21, 21', since the idler gear 23 is driven by the gear teeth 27 in toothed indicator ring 24 in the opposite direction to the rotation of the shaft stubs 21, 21.

Case 13 is provided with openings in the form of slots 28 and 29 across the bottom and top, respectively, at

.the rear portion of the case 13, for the outflow of air entering through inlet port 14. The slots 28 and 29 also enable a casing of less height than width to be used, the indicating ring 24 projecting through the slots in the top and bottom of the case and thus facilitate reading the numerals 24' on the indicator ring 24, and permitting the ring 24 to be manually reset to zero, or any other reading. Preferably, in order to confine the flow of air entering through port 14, the ends of the airscrew or rotor 20 are closed by the end plates 200 being cast thereon, thereby preventing sideways movement of air over or out of the ends of'the vanes of the rotor, or airscrew 20.

The weight of the device is exceedingly light, being of the order of approximately one-half ounce. It may be adhesive ly secured in position on the face 11 of a golf club 12 by a strip of double surfaced pressure sensitized tape 30, and the device is removed by merely peeling the tape off the golf club face, thus no fastening means which mar the face of the golf club are required and no projecting parts which might alter the air resistance or otherwise affect the swing of the club, are present.

It is to be noted that the device of my invention provides advantages additional to those devices which only register the maximum velocity of the club head, which may occur before or after the theoretical point of impact with the golf ball and regardless of the correct positioning of the driving face of the golf club.

By the provision of case 13, enclosing the mechanism of the device of my invention, which is small enough to be positioned on the driving face of the club with an air intake port which is located at the point at which the ball should be struck and with the face of the club perpendicular to the direction of flight of the ball, I insure that only the maximum velocity is recorded when the From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the device may be easily assembled by merely slipping the idler gear 23 on stub shaft 21', then dropping the airscrew rotor and shaft into the bearings 17. The indicator ring 24 is then matched into teeth on fixed gear 22 to properly position the numerals 24', and the spring means '50 are then properly positioned and cover plate 16 snapped into place by engagement of the beaded open edge 51 of housing 13 into the associated groove 52 formed in the pe ripheral edge of cover plate 16.

It will be further noted that the constant tension exerted by spring means 50 on the shaft of the air driven rotor as well as other frictional engagement of the parts will prevent accidental movement of the parts, and the enclosure of the mechanism insures that only the velocity of the air entering through the intake port moves the indicator ring and is measured, and this velocity willbe the maximum only at the correct point in the swing and only when the inlet port is correctly oriented at that-point.

The tension exerted on the parts by spring means 50 and by the counter-turning of the idler gear 23 ajfords a constant braking action against the airscrew 20, and the shielding of the airscrew from being affected by any airflow, except that which is directly directed thereagainst, serves to prevent oscillation or revolution of the airscrew in response to preliminary waggles of the club, as well as during both backswing and downswing of the club, until the club head approximates the high speed hitting or striking zone. It is only in this segment of the downswing arc of the club head that it reaches its highest velocity, and the plane of the club face (which was previously turned parallel to the line of flight during the backswing), is again turned perpendicular or relatively square to the line of flight which is desired to be indicated on or by my device.

Thus, only for the period of time that the maximum speed of airflow coincides with its maximum availability to the airscrew blades does the device record or indicate the club head speed achieved. In determining the club head speeds, the total length of the swing as compared to another is immaterial, since only the speed through the critical segment or are of the swing is recorded, and such segment is common to each swing.

'It will thus be seen that the device will tend to show or indicate errors in the players stroke, such as an improper holding of the club face either open or closed during the hitting zone of the swing, since the volume of airflow into the inlet port 14 and resultant engagement with the blades of, or contact with, the airscrew is restricted by the shielding of the airscrew due to the relative positionment of the opening 14 to the line of flight. Similarly, an outside-in swing, commonly causing a slice or turning of the flight of the ball to the right, and the rolling over of the hands causing a hook or turning of the fiight to the left, will each, to the degree of variance involved, be reflected in the reading recorded as a result of the impaired air flow permitted to enter the inlet opening 14 and its contact with the airserew 'vanes or blades.

A preferred embodiment of my invention has been described and shown by way of illustrative example, but not as limitative of the invention, since various modifications may be made in the described embodiment by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A speed indicating device for the striking face of golf club heads comprising an air pressure responsive component; means to support said component adjacent the exterior frontal surface of said striking face; indicator means operable by said component to register the air pressure exerted on said component during a swinging movement of the club head; means for stabilizing the component and indicator means against registering movement during the preliminary phases of a golf club swing; means for shielding the air pressure responsive component from lateral air flow or pressures and pressure adhesive attachment means adapted to removably secure said means to support said component upon the striking face of the golf club.

2. :A device for indicating the velocity of the striking face of a golf club head in a driving swing, comprising: mounting means to detachably secure said device on the striking face of a club head; means carried by said mounting means and operable by air pressure during a driving swing of the club; means carried by said mounting means and driven by said air pressure operated means to indicate the velocity of the club head in a driving swing; and means adherently securing said mounting means to the driving face of the club head, said last named means including a double sided pressure adhesive material disposed between said mounting means and said driving face.

3. A device for indicating the velocity of the striking face of a golf club head in a driving swing, comprising: mounting means to detachably secure said device on the striking face :of a club head, said mounting means including a base member to be secured to the striking face, side portions extending forwardly from said base member, and bearing members carried by said side portions and having a closed forward face and being open at its other end toward the base member; means carried by said mounting means and operable by air pressure during a driving swing of the club head, said air pressure operable means including a shaft mounted in said bearings, an air driven rotor secured on said shaft, and means to hold said shaft against the forward face of said bearings; and means carried by said mounting means and driven by said air pressure operated means to indicate the velocity of the club head at approximately that segment of the downswing are when contact with a golf ball would be made.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3 in which the air pressure operable means includes a gear secured on one end of said rotor shaft to turn therewith; a second gear freely rotatable on the opposite end of said shaft; indicating means formed as a ring having gear teeth in engagement with said gears; and means rotatably connecting said ring to said base.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4, and in which the means connecting said ring-shaped indicator to said base, includes a hub and resilient arms extending therefrom; and a projection from the base on which said hub is mounted for rotation.

6. A device for indicating the velocity of the striking face of a golf club head in a driving swing, comprising: mounting means to detacha'oly secure said device on the striking face of a club head, said mounting means including a flat base, a case secured to said base and enclosing the mechanism of the device and being provided with a forwardly directed air intake port; means carried by said 6 mounting means .and operable by air pressure due to the flow of air through said port during a driving swing of the club, said means carried by said mounting means and operable by air pressure comprising: a rotor mounted behind said air intake port, the sides of the case being effective to limit flow of air into the case from said port, said case being slotted toward the base to permit exit of air from said case; means carried by said mounting means and driven by said air pressure operated means to indicate the velocity of the club head in a driving swing; and means adherently securing said mounting means to the driving face of the club head.

7. The device of claim 3 wherein said housing is provided with a forwardly extending lip portion surrounding said port to reduce the amount of air moving generally laterally of said port which may enter said port during movement of said golf club head.

8. The device of claim 3 wherein said housing is open to the atmosphere at a rearward portion to allow said air entering said port and aoting on said anemometer means to pass rearw-ardly out of said housing.

9. A device for detachable assembly to the striking face of golf clubs to indicate the relative expertness of a golfers swing with different golf clubs of different swing weight and/ or striking face loft or in learning to swing expertly, comprising:

a base member having height and width dimensions smaller than the corresponding height and width dimensions of the striking face of a golf club;

pressure adhesive means for detachably securing said base member on the striking face of a golf club; and

anemometer means carried by said base member and driven by air pressure exerted thereon during a forward swing of the golf club, said anemometer means being mounted by said base member on said striking face in a plane virtually parallel to the plane of said striking face whereby the amount of force of air pressure exerted on said anemometer during a golf swing is inversely proportionate to the amount of loft of the .club striking face and directly proportiona-te to the inclination of the club striking face to the ground surface at the base of the forward golf swing.

10. \A device for indicating the exper-tness of practice golf swings, comprising:

a lightweight base member;

independent adhesive means for removably afiixing said base member upon the striking face of a golf club; and

means carried by said base member and operable by air pressure during a swing of the golf club head in a practice golf swing, said last named means being mounted by said base member in a plane spaced forwardly and parallel to said striking face and responsive to club head speed in proportion to the inclination of said striking face to a ground plane at the bottom of a forward golf practice swing.

11. A self-aligned velocity indicating device for marfree, universally interchangeable attachment to the striking face of golf club heads, comprising:

anemometer means responsive to air pressure exerted thereon in a forward golf practice swing;

a lightweight base member carrying said anemometer means; and

independent adhesive means for rapid, removable attachment of said base member to said striking face in a plane generally parallel to and spaced from said striking face without multilation of the golf club head.

12. A swing efliciency indicating device for use on the striking face of golf club heads, comprising:

air pressure responsive means;

mounting means for supporting said air pressure responsive means; and

independent adhesive means for removably afiixing p 3,088,321 H 7 8 said mounting means to the striking face of a golf dimensions smaller than the corresponding height club without defacing the golf club head, said mountand width dimensions of the striking face of a golf ing means including a lightweight base member for club; and I supporting said air pressure responsive means in a plane generally parallel to the exterior frontal surface of said striking face whereby the amount of force of air exerted upon said air pressure responsive independent pressure sensitive adhesive means for rapid, removable attachment of said base member to the striking face of a golf club without defacement of the golf club.

means throughout the lowest forward arc of a golf practice swing is inversely proportionate to the horizontal deviation of said striking face from a vertical 10 plane perpendicular to the direction of movement References Cited in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS of the golf club head at the base of a forward swing. Davis Jan. 14, 1913 13. A velocity indicating device adapted for the pre- 1,712,537 White May 14, 1929 urchase testing of golf clubs, comprising: 1,785,724 Brant Dec. 16, 1950 air pressure responsive means; 15 1,876,657 FOX Sept. 13, 1932 base means for supporting said air pressure responsive 2,660,436 Grossman Nov. 24, 1953 means, said base means having height and width 3,003,354 Wood Oct. 10, 1961 

1. A SPEED INDICATING DEVICE FOR THE STRIKING FACE OF GOLF CLUB HEADS COMPRISING AN AIR PRESSURE RESPONSIVE COMPONENT; MEANS TO SUPPORT SAID COMPONENT ADJACENT THE EXTERIOR FRONTAL SURFACE OF SAID STRIKING FACE; INDICATOR MEANS OPERABLE BY SAID COMPONENT TO REGISTER THE AIR PRESSURE EXERTED ON SID COMPONENT DURING A SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE CLUB HEAD; MEANS FOR STABILIZING THE COMPONENT AND INDICATOR MEANS AGAINST REGISTERING MOVEMENT DURING THE PRELIMINARY PHASES OF A GOLF CLUB SWING; 